The annual Veterans Day Parade (above) ended at West Cadiz Park, as it does every year. And every year, it starts at the Trigg County Schools parking lot, where students (one pictured below) came out from their classes to greet the parade participants with waving flags.

Chief Warrant Officer Five James E. Manning, who was the Grand Marshal at this year’s Cadiz Veterans Parade, says America’s greatest debt is to the veterans that have fought and died for this country, not our financial debts.

“For over 200 years, our nation has been accumulating a tremendous debt and passing this debt along to the next generation and the next,” said Manning. “And how should our children, these next generations, feel about this debt they inherit? They should be proud. They should be thankful, and they should embrace this debt with open arms and open hearts.”

Manning said U.S. soldiers have been protecting America’s freedom for more than 235 years, and many of them have given the ultimate sacrifice. He added that he’s been asked many times if this country is doing the right and necessary thing by fighting wars overseas.

He added that while he doesn’t know the answer to that question, he can say that American children haven’t had to personally experience war in roughly 150 years, while children in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and other countries have.

Manning said that while the “utopian idea” of peace is a noble one, wars America has fought have ended slavery, genocide and have killed terrorists. “Without veterans, America would not be America,” he said, to much applause.

For the rest of this story, see this week's issue of The Cadiz Record or subscribe to our e-Edition by calling 270-522-6605.